ehrentitle

No problem. I had several opportunities to visit the Reichstag in the late 80's when I was stationed in Berlin and it was still a museum. It would be a massive and intemidating building to assault, ideal for urban defense. The building had been painstakingly restored, but you could still see those places where it had been damaged by shellfire and gunfire. In places they also left the graffiti of the Soviet solider which had occupied it. Kevin

Yes, It is also interesting to note that Zhukov indicates that the three battalions that assaulted the Reichstag were commanded by a Major, a Captain and a Senior Lieutenant. I guess losses were so great that these were amoung the few remaining officer left alive and not suffering from serious wounds. Kevin

According to Marshal Zhukov's autobiography, Reminiscences and Reflections, Progress Publishers, Moscow, English edition 1985, "At 9:50 a.m on April 30 Sergeant M.A. Yegorov and Junior Sergeant M.V. Kantarina hoisted the victory flag received from the Army Military Council on the main cupola of the Reishtag."

That would definately let the enemy know where you are, which may not always a good thing in perimeter defense. This presents special problems when you are defending in an urban envronment. The presence of civilians would make this impractical. I've heard of and done "stand to" at BMNT, but never a "mad minute" at that time. Sounds like a Vietnam era tactic. Kevin

Bob - I remember seeing one of those demonstrations in ROTC in the 1970s, back then it was called the "Million Dollar Minute". Not only did it include artillery and armor but attack helicopters, AC-130 gun ships and Air Force fixed wing aviation....all pounding the same lifeless tank hulks on a hill. I guess if done today with inflation it would be the multi-million dollar minute. Kevin

Having been a mortar platoon leader in the early 80s, the Mad Minute was the minute before midnight when all mortar and artillery ranges closed. Rather than go through the onerous task of turning in opened ammuntion the next day, mortar platoons and artillery batteries fired everthing they had in the "Mad Minute" before packing up and going back to garrison. It was a glorious orgy of artillery parachute flares, WP, HE and even hand held colored flares and star clusters (everything but red which was the universal sign of cease fire). Kevin

Here is one of those postcards. This one is undated and the only one showing soldier wearing the actual EK2. No collar tress so I assumed they are not NCOs. Kevin [attachmentid=13859]

Thanks, I always enjoy reading the posts in this forum although it is not my area of collecting. Beyond a Pickelhaube that I picked up in Iowa years ago, all I really have are a few photo postcards of WWI German soldiers that might be interesting, Including a couple clearly showing NCOs & soldiers wearing either the ribbon or the medal for the Iron Cross 2nd Class. If anyone is interested I'll scan them and post them here. Kevin

Yes I noticed that it was single piece of ribbon, but didn't think anything of it. I just assumed that this was a common ribbon bar since it and the lapel bows only cost me a couple of marks back in the 80s. Kevin

Vielen Dank! Kevin

Thanks much for your quick response. I always assumed that the top medal bar was 1930s vintage because of the Hindenburg Cross . Is that true?

Reverse: [attachmentid=13790]

Unmounted EK 2 along with a ribbon bar and lapel ribbons. [attachmentid=13789]

Reverse side: [attachmentid=13788]

When I was stationed with the U.S. Army Berlin Brigade back in the mid-1980s I purchased a few WWI Iron Cross 2nd Class related items at a flea market in Berlin. This was when I thought about collecting WWI German as WWII was too expensive and loaded with fakes. I eventually got into East German insignia and medals because of availability and cost, so I never really got around to identifying all of the ribbons on the bars or value. Would be most appreciative if anyone here could give me back ground info on these items as well as current value if any. Kevin [attachmentid=13787]

Here is the section of the Wikipedia article on joining a Masonic organization, as coastie mentioned, you have to ask, normally no one will invite you - Generally, to be a Freemason, one must: be a man who comes of his own free will believe in a Supreme Being, or, in some jurisdictions, a Creative Principle (unless joining a jurisdiction with no religious requirement, as in the Continental tradition), be at least the minimum age (18?25 years depending on the jurisdiction), be of sound mind, body and of good morals, and be free (or "born free", i.e. not born a slave or bondsman).

Check out this article on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemasonry Kevin

Here is a sample of what the DDR civil honor list looks like from "Neues Deutschland". Award type, name, occupatiion and home city. Kevin

I have a few issues of "Neues Deutschland" from the late 1980s, one of which has the civil awards list. As I recall they were published twice a year. I know your decorations are from an earler period, but I'll see if I can post an extract here so you get an idea of the amount of information available. Kevin

There are a couple of potental ways to research this group of East German civil decorations. The first would be to contact the Stasi-Archiv in Berlin to see if this individual has a Stasi file. The second is that major awards were always published in the Berlin and regional newpapers. I'm sure there is a German genelogy researcher or two willing to this kind of research for a price. Kevin

One of the best places to start is the First Division Museum at Cantigny: http://www.rrmtf.org/firstdivision/firstdivision.htm It contains links to other good 1st ID sites such as: The Society of the 1st Infantry Division http://www.bigredone.org/ 18th Infantry Regimental Association http://www.18inf.org/

Also part of this insignia lot were these British and Canadian Royal Army Service Corps pins. The veterans association pin (lower left) is marked J.R. Gaunt London on a half moon clasp. Kevin

The back of the pin on the left, British Army Empire League, is marked with the date 1927 and W. Scully. The back of the "General Service" pin is even more interesting. At the top in a serial number # 055588 and bottom "Penalty for misuse 500 dollars or six months imprisionment". Kevin

I picked up two of what I believe are Canadian Army WWI or WWII veterans badges in a large lot of insignia at a recent auction. I know nothing about them and would like to know more. Kevin

Here is another West Berlin flea market find from the late 1980s, a Military Merit Medal I believe. Looks like it has been reribboned, but medal itself shows lots of wear. It is numbered 1742051. Would appreciate your comments since I know nothing about it. Kevin